there is a fire in you
quiet sometimes
flickering
but always there

it bends
it shifts
it learns the shape of the wind
and still…
it burns

they can try to dim it
they can try to name it something else
but it knows who it is
it knows what it is

and it will keep reaching
for air
for warmth
for light

because it was never meant
to go out

and when it opens into flame
when it becomes undeniable
blazing like the sun
just remember
it is in you

it lives beneath your ribs
feeding on your breath
until it grows bright enough to carry you

and much like you 
it refuses to disappear

Author’s Note: This piece was written by an LGBTQIA2S+ MoreLove member who wants you to know: You are not fragile. You are not temporary. You are not something to be erased. You are fire… and you’re still here.